Europe – post Renaissance

1. Europe – post Renaissance After this lecture you should be able to compare/contrast the governments and economic systems of various countries within Europe be able to explain why each country developed different forms of government

2. Spain • Great wealth from gold and silver from colonies in the Americas • Severe inflation hurt the economy • Nobles did not pay taxes. Lower classes had the burden of paying for wars against the English. No middle class developed • Manufacturing did not modernize; foreign goods were cheaper

3. United Provinces of the Netherlands • Religious toleration • Trading empire – waterways and ships • Made up of small republics, each led by an elected governor. Merchants had power

4. France • Absolute monarchy • Early rebellions by the nobility failed because the nobles didn’t trust each other, peasants tires of the fighting • Louis XIV controlled nobility, had extravegant lifestyle, built Versailles • Religious fights between Protestants (Hugenots) and Catholics

5. France continued… • Louis XIV left the country in debt from wars and Versailles, but with a large army

6. Central Europe • Page 604 • Largely rural • After the plague there was much land, not much labor, but few cities or towns. Landowners gradually forced peasants into serfdom to increase the agricultural yield • Monarchs were weaker, less sense of nationalism

7. Russia • Lacked warm-water port (most northern ports freeze and are unusable in the winter) • Serfdom like slavery • Separation from the west due to Orthodox religion • Peter the Great tried some reforms – professional army, secured warm water port

8. England • Parliament vs monarchy • English Civil War: 1642 – 1649 • Oliver Cromwell and Puritans took over and executed Charles I Cromwell becomes a dictator 1649 – invaded Ireland and gave Irish land to British soldiers Died in 1659, England returns to monarcy

9. England becomes a Constitutional Monarcy • Bill of Rights – 1689 • Monarch can’t suspend parliament’s laws • Parliament has to approve taxes • Freedom of speech within parliament • Citizens can petition the king without penalty Economy – trade, colonies, early manufacturing, agriculture, serdomgone, increasing middle class

10. Serfdom Western Europe Eastern Europe Largely argricultural Peasants worked land Not many cities or industry Post-plague, landowners saw profit in greater agricultural production Peasants forced to stay on the land Serfdom closer to slavery develops • Serfs worked in agriculture • As cities grew, trade prospered • Money –based economy • Learning brought back from crusades • Post-plague, serfs could leave for the city or demand wages

11. Scientific Revolution • If you can question the church (Protestant Reformation) you can question scientific “truths” • Early “science” based on Aristotle and observation, not on investigation or experiments • Science that conflicted with religious teaching was persecuted • Mathematic models used to support science

12. Scientific Ideas • Copernicus – heliocentric universe • Galileo – used a telescope and published Copernicus views, persecuted by the church and recanted. • Catholic church didn’t admit Galileo was right until 1992! • Vesalius – anatomy, circulation of blood • Jenner - vaccination

13. Which was the most influential? • Of the scientific discoveries discussed in chapter 12, which was the most ? Why? • What are the most influential scientific discoveries of our time? Why? • Are there some scientific discoveries that are difficult to accept? Or that cause controversy? Why?

14. Homework for Wednesday • Read pages 629-634, questions 1 and 2